Kyoya's Secret Love
by djwolfgirl
Summary: Kyoya gets a love interest! OK, so there must be tons of fanfics where he falls in love but still. Enjoy and don't forget to review! Arigatō!
1. It's Only the Begginning

The Love That Was Never Mentioned but Will Never Be Forgotten

Intro

Ai was always a quiet girl. She was a first year at Ouran High School, the school for the rich kids in the rich families of Japan. She was in class 1-A, the same as host club members Haruhi Fujioka, Hikaru, and Kaoru Hitachiin. They had said "Hi" to her once or twice before, but, again, she was a quiet and shy girl. She had very few friends and the friends she did have were her friends because they didn't annoy her deeply like most of the kids at that school. It wasn't that she thought she was better than them or anything. It was a surprise she even got into the "A" class and her record wasn't that of an angel. She just didn't like most of the kids' snobby attitudes towards life. She just wanted to be rid of those kids for good but that would be hard for her. After all she was the daughter of the head, and the next head, of the Sumero family: Japan's, and the world's, most leading family in music. Everyone in her family had a natural affinity for music, and she was no exception. She could play almost any instrument, hit every note in vocals, and make any song into a hit. Every day she was at school or in some family meeting, or any event for that matter, she would much prefer being in her room playing her guitar and singing her favorite songs. Her parents highly believed she had star potential so they were trying their best to make her a famous singer/musician. She would love being wrapped in music, but she didn't want her family's help. Especially their latest plan: an arranged marriage. What was worse was that it was with no other than the one person she despised the most at that school: Kyouya Ootori. They had known each other since they were little, but they never talked for long periods of time just because he was a year older than her and she always felt like she was being looked down on around him. "Ding-Dang-Dong. Ding-Dang-Dong." The sound of the school bell pulled her out of her subconscious mind. Before heading to her private clubroom that she liked playing music in while waiting for her driver she had to make a detour straight to Music Room 3: where the Host Club had activities and where she would have to tell Kyouya what their parents had decided. She sighed as she thought "I really hate being rich sometimes." Marrying into a medical family to help with music? It made no sense to her. It would make more sense to marry into the Hitachiin family, since they were in fashion and could promote her songs. She walked down the hallway that felt like the walk of doom. Ai _really_ wished she was alone in her room at that point.

The News

Ai opened the doors and a swarm of roses flew to her as she saw a group of 7 handsome men dressed like handsome police men. Where most girls would blush at the sight, Ai found herself awestruck by the stupidity of the act. She hung onto the wall as she thought to herself "There's no way I can marry a guy who's into this kind of stuff!" She felt arms around her and looked up to see a blonde with violet eyes holding her; Tamaki Suoh, class 2A, to be precise. Again, where most girls would probably blush and cry in joy, Ai felt the overwhelming need to get away from that place ASAP. Before she could compose herself, she said the first words that popped into her head: "Let go of me, you full-of-himself-halfy." This seemed to shock Tamaki to his core and before long he had gone to an emo-corner. "Over dramatic much?" she thought. The Hitachiin twins hurled into laughter as Kyouya walked over to Ai and asked "Did you come for an appointment?" She let her head drop as she remembered what she went there for. She sighed and picked her head back up so that she was looking Kyouya straight in the eye. She felt her breath catch and her heart rapidly beat as she felt the physical attraction she had for him for so long. She shook her head and said, "Our parents want us to marry. Please help me try to talk them out of it?" He stared blankly at her and asked, "Why? It would be highly profitable for both of our families to join and since you're too young for Akito, I'm the best candidate." She was speechless with shock as she thought "This is why I refuse to marry him: everything's profit or no profit to him. I wouldn't go insane in less than five seconds married to this guy." She sighed and turned away, but before leaving she said, "Let me know when you have the balls to do something _you_ want to do, not what's profitable. Also, don't get too keen on the idea of us marrying. Even if I have to run away, I refuse to marry someone as cold as you." She ran off and, even though the reason had yet to be known to her, she felt tears drip down her face.

The Unknown Visit

Kyouya walked down the hall, reliving Ai's cold words. He mentally kicked himself for saying the marriage would be "profitable" when in truth, the fact that their families were arranging this marriage lit up his day. To him Ai was much more than something profitable: she was the one he loved. He loved her long auburn red hair and striking sapphire green eyes. He loved the fact that she was the perfect height for him and he especially loved how she looked in the girl's uniform: a yellow and white poufy dress with long sleeves that ended at her knees. It wasn't just her physical form that he loved; he loved her personality. She was smart and could do anything when she set her mind to it. She was cold when needed and she was kind when needed, but more than anything he loved how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Everyone around him seemed somewhat fake except for her. Even though he was an Ootori, she wasn't afraid to give him a piece of her mind. He didn't blame her for her words; he knew she didn't say them unless she really felt them. He only blamed himself. It annoyed him deeply that she seemed to know everything there was to know about him except for one thing: his love for her. She seemed completely dense to it or anything about them having more than a business relationship, but maybe that was his own fault. He never let her know that she had any use more than profit. "It's too late now" he thought. He wanted to go crawl into an emo-corner like Tamaki usually did when he was depressed. "Only her music is gonna make me any happier at this point," he thought and as soon as the thought was finished he heard a guitar coming from a creaked door. He slowly walked over and peeked in. He saw Ai, guitar in lap, preparing to sing. He stood there, awestruck by her beautiful and angelic appearance. His breath caught as she started to sing. It was a song that, for both of them, struck close to home: Again by Yui. After hearing the song he was inspired to show her that she was much more to him than profit, that he wanted their relationship to be much more than a business relationship. He walked off and out of the school and was getting in his car to go home as something hit him: _What if she didn't want their relationship to be anything more than a business? What if she didn't want to be anything more than a profit to him? What if she didn't even want to consider marrying him?_ He kept his cool façade but inside he was dying as he felt these questions come to him like flaming arrows through his heart. He had never considered her feelings before, only his. He went to his room as soon as he got home and locked the door. He couldn't hold it in anymore but he'd be damned if anyone saw him like that. He finally let the tears drop without end as he realized that he needed her, even if it's just a business relationship, he needed something with her to hold on to, but if she wasn't happy, then there was no way he could be happy. That night, for the first time, he didn't come out of his room and he didn't do his homework. He didn't care what punishment he would receive, he only cared about living in her memory. He thought of her smile, something that seemed ultimately rare unless there was some form of music. He thought of her personality and of the first time they met.

The First Meeting

Kyouya, eight years old at the time, walked outside into his garden. He liked being out there; it calmed him. As he walked into the garden, he heard a little girl's laughter. He dreaded the thought that someone else was out there while he was, but curiosity got the better of him. He walked towards the voice and eventually found a little girl running around happily. It wasn't long until she ran into him and fell to the ground. She looked up, her auburn hair pulled into pigtails and curled, her sapphire green eyes looking curiously up at Kyouya. She stared at him for a minute and then smiled brightly. She stood up and dusted off her pink floral dress. She finally held out her hand to Kyouya and said, "I'm Ai Sumero! What's your name?" He stared at her for a long time wondering, "This is the next head of the Sumero family?" Eventually, though, he took her hand, smiled, and said, "Kyouya Ootori. It's very nice to meet you, Miss Sumero." She frowned at his formality and said, "Just call me Ai!" They stopped shaking hands and stood there for a while until Ai started fidgeting. But it wasn't long until her face lit up and she asked, "Do you want to play a game with me?" He smiled but shook his head and pretended to realize something. "Sorry, but I just remembered I have to go see my father," he said. He started to turn away as she said, "Liar, you just don't want to play with a little girl. I'm seven, I'll have you know, but whatever. Do what you want. I don't want to play with a liar anyways." He turned around in shock and saw her run off, apparently chasing a blue butterfly. "Doesn't she know who I am? My father could have her father bankrupt in a second. She sure is bold," he thought as he turned away and walked back to the house.

The Confession

Ai jumped out of bed, breathing heavily. "Why did I dream of that? Why would I even care about when we met? He was a jerk then and he's a jerk now," she told herself as she got ready for school. She paused as she looked at herself in the mirror after changing. "I really hate this uniform" she thought. The cold words she said to Kyouya the day before replayed in her head for the ten-thousandth time as she felt another wave of regret. It was the first time she ever wished she could take something back. "Why do I feel sorry or regret? The words were true and still are true. Even if my attempts last night failed" she thought. The night before, during dinner she had tried to talk her parents out of the arranged marriage, but they wouldn't hear of it. She got into the car and the driver started on his way to the school. She sighed as she looked out the window. "I really don't want to go to school today because I know Kyouya's gonna confront me, I just know it," she thought, but she went anyways. She refused to let someone drive her out of an education, even if it wasn't the most important thing for her.

Ai arrived at the front gate and immediately saw Kyouya leaning against one of the pillars. Her first reaction was to tell the driver to drop her off at another gate but decided against it. To her, avoiding him would be like saying he won some unknown game. She hated losing, with a passion. She stepped out of the limousine and strode towards the massive doors with a confidence she forced herself to feel. She refused to look at Kyouya so when he grabbed her shoulder she jumped. She turned around and said, "Kyouya, you startled me!" with some nervous laughter at the end. His face was completely serious as he stared at her and asked, "Can we talk after school? In the garden?" She couldn't speak as an unknown feeling caused by his stare filled her. She wasn't blushing but she was sure she was staring at him in shock. She only nodded but he wouldn't let go. They stayed like that for a while when Ai began to fidget. She always fidgeted when she was in awkward moments and now, with Kyouya's hand on her shoulder, was one of them. It seemed Kyouya had noticed this too and let go of her, never once acting like it was awkward for him too. She turned around and felt the blood rush to her cheeks, which was extremely rare. She could feel his lingering gaze on her but she refused to look back, telling herself it was her imagination. "Kyouya would never think of me that way. I'm just profit to him," she thought and shook her head as soon as she thought it. "What am I thinking? Why would I want a jerk like that to think of me that way? Damnit, I don't understand!" she thought as she walked to her classroom. She felt like hitting herself in the head and just wanted to go crawl under a rock for just thinking like that. When she walked into the classroom it felt like someone had put a "CROWD ME" sign on her. She was crowded with girls, no doubt Kyouya fans, from her class. They bombarded her with questions like "Are you really gonna marry Kyouya?" or "Why would a music family marry into a medical family?" but one comment that really got to her was from her classmate Azumi Hiroko: "You must want Kyouya all for yourself. Why don't you give up? It's not like he even thinks of you as a friend or anything." Ai had about enough of Azumi. Ever since primary school, Ai had been Azumi's favorite person to pick on and Ai just brushed her off, but this time was different. "You think I _want_ to marry that jerk? Well, I don't so why don't you go get a life, Azumi, and leave me the hell alone!" she roared at the snobby princess. Azumi was taken off guard and Ai felt a wave of triumph. She sat in her seat as everyone stepped away from her; afraid they would get a piece of her as well. She opened up a shojo manga and pleaded to whoever was listening to let this day go by quickly.

Before Ai knew it, it was after school and time to meet Kyouya. She started to build her defenses like she always had before meeting him. She went the way to the garden and eventually found him sitting on a stone bench. She walked over and asked, "Did you wait long?" He jumped up, seeming surprised by her voice, which surprised her. He was supposed to be a calm, calculating guy who wasn't surprised by anything. He turned towards her and said, "No, not really, I just got here." She sat on the bench and said, "Whatever." She set her bag on the ground by the bench. "So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked as she looked up at the tall figure. He sat down beside her and she noticed that he was a little uneasy; another shocker. "First time for everything, I guess," she thought. They sat there for a while, just looking at each other and for the first time Ai didn't feel awkward when someone looked at her for long periods of time, in fact she enjoyed Kyouya's gaze. Kyouya sighed and looked away as he said, "It's okay if you don't feel the same way I do, and if you're really intent on not marrying me than I won't force you, but…" Kyouya paused and for the first time Ai actually saw some feeling besides coldness in his eyes. Kyouya looked back at her and smiled. Her breath caught at his smile. It wasn't an evil, calculating smile like he would usually wear; it was a genuinely happy smile. His next words really caught her off guard, "I love you, Ai."

The Realization

Kyouya felt like he had lifted a huge load off his chest, but something wasn't quite right about the scene. At that point Ai should've been saying, "I love you too, Kyouya" or running happily into his arms or something but she was just sitting there, staring at him in disbelief. Tears filled her beautiful eyes as she looked away from Kyouya to the walkway underneath them. She clenched her teeth and said, "This is low, even for you." She ran off without another word, the only proof that she was there being the tear stains on the sidewalk and her bag beside the bench. He chased her without another thought, leaving his bag with hers. He wanted her to know that what he was saying was true; he wanted to take her in his arms and say "sorry" for all the coldness he showed towards her the past years. As he chased her he wondered when his feelings for her had started. "Right, that must've been it," he thought as a memory occurred to him.

It was middle school and he was a second year. He was walking the hall to the front gates when he heard loud laughter. It was familiar and sent him an image of the smiling seven year old. He hadn't talked to her since then and had only seen her at gatherings standing alone. He walked towards the laughter and found the little girl again, only this time she was about twelve and she was wearing the middle school uniform. Again, she was in the garden and, again, she was chasing butterflies. He walked out and before he knew it he was watching her intently. It wasn't long before she noticed him. When she turned towards him he noticed she was holding a bouquet of flowers. "Kyouya!" she called as she ran towards him. When she reached him she pulled out a blue rose. "Here!" she said as she handed him the rose. He took the rose and said, "You're in a happy mood." She giggled and said, "Who wouldn't be on a day like this? The sun's out, the birds are chirping, the air's clean, and everything looks so beautiful! It's hard not to be giddy on a day like today!" She turned from him and went to a nearby bench to rest. She was breathing heavily but she quickly caught her breath. She patted the seat next to her and said, "Have a seat, my good man!" She sounded almost drunk with happiness to him. He sat next to her and looked out on the garden. They didn't speak for a while and before they knew it, their drivers were calling them. Ai stood up and curtsied. "Have a very nice day, good sir!" she said before walking off. He walked off shortly after but couldn't help thinking that she looked more beautiful than any girl at that moment.

Ai turned towards a hallway and grabbed a wall to stay steady. The hallway was deserted so she had no trouble dropping to the ground and crying her heart out. When she was done she sat next to a wall and finally realized why she was feeling these weird things. "He's a jerk, and he's cold, and everything is a matter of profit to him but I love that jerk. I love him," she said aloud, not realizing that Kyouya was right around the corner and had heard everything. He turned toward the hallway and said, "Then why are you so reluctant to marry me?"

The Deal

Ai's head shot up to see the dark haired, dark eyed man she had known since she was seven. She stood up and was about to run when he grabbed her arm. She turned back to see that he was losing his cool façade. "Why…" he looked up at her and she was shocked to the core by the emotion on his face. If she thought he was acting before, she didn't think that now. "Why won't you marry me?" She looked at him with no fear and no regret. She wouldn't let anything stop her from saying what she was gonna say. "I don't want to be married and know it was arranged. That would be a living hell for me, even if I did love the man. I don't want anyone deciding my future for me." Kyouya's face wasn't so much shocked as happy. He smiled and hugged her saying, "Then I'll get it straightened out and I'll propose to you properly." Ai smiled at the thought and hugged him back. She hugged him so tight, as if she was afraid he would blow away. She whispered, "That's fine by me, but wait until our careers are worked out ok?" He smiled and said, "Of course." Ai started to break the hug and Kyouya wondered why she would break a moment like this until she met his lips with hers. Her kiss was delicate and shy, something that matched her perfectly and yet didn't match her at all. He kissed back but, to both of them, it felt like it ended too quickly. Ai let go of Kyouya, smiled up at him, and said, "I think our drivers are waiting." Kyouya laughed and said, "You're probably right. I'll see you next time then." She laughed and said, "Alright, till next time!" She walked past him and felt as if her heart would beat out of her chest. Kyouya walked the opposite direction. He smiled to himself and thought, "Love really is profitable, I suppose."


	2. Alfred Stewart

The Love That Was Never Mentioned but Will Never Be Forgotten (part 2!)

Regrets

Ai walked away from the man that she loved, drove her to insanity, and made her feel special all at the same time. She was on the verge of tears and yet so happy she could barely contain it. Her heart was a jumble of emotions and she didn't know where to begin. She wanted to know _when_ she had fallen for Kyouya Ootori; she wanted to know when he had fallen for her. Had they always been in love, or was it only recently? Could she rely on him to not change his feelings for her? Could she rely on herself to not change her feelings for him? It was all too much too fast. She sat in the car and, as the driver started to head home, she told him not to.

"What's wrong, miss Ai?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just want to drive around town for a bit. Do you mind?" she responded.

"Your father won't be happy about this, but if you insist I suppose it's alright," he said reluctantly.

She smiled back at him before looking out the window. She watched all the flying colors of Tokyo as they drove and couldn't help but feeling like she was on a cloud. She smiled and her heart felt light as a feather; she only realized she was crying when the driver asked,

"Are you alright, Miss Ai?"

She immediately wiped her eyes and said, "Yeah, I'm fine," which was, in all honesty, the biggest lie she's ever told.

_What if he forgets the promise? What if this was her only chance to marry him?_

"Can we head home now?" she asked.

"Of course, milady," the driver answered.

She continued watching the outside world as she tried to quiet her thoughts. It was always like this with her; she couldn't be completely happy about something because she always worried about the what-if's. Before she noticed what she was doing, they were home and she was welcomed back home with a surprise that she didn't expect in a million lifetimes. As she walked inside she saw a tall blonde with sky blue eyes and tan skin in a t-shirt and jeans sitting on her couch.

"Hi, Ai," he said.

The Obstacle

Ai's former fiancé, before Kyouya, got up from his seat and walked over to give her a hug. His name was Alfred Stewart; one of her parents' favorite suitors.

"Long time no see, Ai!" he said happily.

She responded with a nervous, "Al! W-what are you doing here?"

Her mom answered, "Since we couldn't marry you with Kyouya Ootori, we decided our best option was Alfred-chan."

It took Ai a minute to process everything, seeing as she was still light headed from the kiss earlier.

When she finally realized what was going on she exclaimed, "Mom! I don't want to be married! To _anyone_!" _Liar_,the voice inside her head said.

_Not the time_, she thought back.

"Ai! Don't be unreasonable!" her mother replied as she jumped up from her chair.

Her father walked in at that time and took a minute to assess the scene.

"Welcome, Stewart-san!" was his response before walking to the couch and sitting down.

_What just happened?_ The voice in Ai's head asked. _I have no idea._

Ai's mother walked over to Ai and put her hands on Ai's shoulders. "Ai, Alfred-chan is a very respectable man now; he's not his mischievous self from your young days," she said.

"Mom, that's not the point! You and Dad are trying to control my future and I hate it!" and with that, Ai ran off.

She slammed her door behind her and flung to her bed.

"Today was just starting to be a good one, too," she murmured.

There was a knock at her door followed by Alfred walking in.

Ai got up in her bed and prepared to say sorry when Alfred said, "Fallen for someone?"

Ai stared at him in amazement before blushing and turning her head.

"Maybe," she replied.

He sat next to her and said, "Then I'll just have to fight him for you."

Ai swiftly turned to him in surprise. He was leaning back, using his arms for support, on the edge of her bed and looking towards the ceiling. Ai took a moment to take Alfred in more fully. His longish, dirty blonde hair was pulled into a short ponytail; his light blue eyes were looking up brightly, as if he saw something he loved; his tan skin was the perfect shade for the white t-shirt that hung loosely from his shoulders and chest; his blue jeans fitted him perfectly. Indeed, he was the perfect American. He was no doubt attractive, that's what had her interested in him in the first place. She wasn't going to lie, he was her favorite suitor too- well, before she realized her feelings for Kyouya, anyways. She crossed her legs and waited for him to say something. He smiled.

"You really look cute in that uniform, ya'know," he said.

Ai blushed immensely and jumped up off the bed as she realized she was still in her uniform. She pointed her finger towards the door.

"You, out! Come back when I tell you it's ok!" she said.

He looked to her and naughtily smirked.

"What? It's not like I haven't seen it before," he replied.

Ok, so maybe they had a thing before; and maybe she lost her virginity to him; and maybe they never technically broke up, just got unengaged; but that didn't stop Ai from blushing and getting pissed off.

She started to push him off the bed and was met with a tackle and a kiss. Alfred smiled down at her with his arms wrapped around her and hers around him.

"Just like old times, huh?" he said.

This pulled Ai out of her haze so that she could realize what her body had done out of instinct. She pushed him off of her and shot up off the bed.

"No! Not like old times! This isn't right, Al! We haven't seen each other in two years! We can't do this anymore!" Ai exclaimed as she put her hands up.

Alfred sat up on the bed and frowned.

"Do you really love this guy more than me?" he asked in his puppy dog way; a face and tone he knew fully well Ai couldn't refuse.

It took all of her energy to not give in. She stood her ground and said, "Yes, I do."

Alfred stood up, crossed his arms, and smirked before saying, "Fine; challenge accepted."

Ai dropped her arms and said, "Say what?"

"I am staying in Japan indefinitely. Therefore, I'll stay by your side and teach this guy a lesson for taking your heart away. In other words, you will be seeing me for a while now," he replied.

Ai glared at him and said, "Don't you dare."

He smirked.

"You're so cute when you're mad."

He walked out of the room, leaving Ai standing there.

"ARGH!" she yelled in frustration before stomping to her closet to change.

Alfred's First Day at Ouran

Ai walked out of the limo and towards the school. Immediately, she felt her smirking shadow. She turned around and looked at Alfred. His hair was down, his eyes imitated his smirk brightly, and his uniform was disgruntled; yet, he pulled it off. She came up to him and started to fix his tie.

"At least get this right, American," she murmured.

He smiled down at her and said, "Well, I know you like the disgruntled look on me best. Well, that's excluding the naked look."

Ai blushed immensely and pulled the tie a bit too tight as she said, "Continue this, and I will have to punish you."

In a choked voice, Alfred replied, "Ooo, kinky."

She glared up at him before turning around. She stomped off, Alfred walking closely behind.

She reached her classroom and noticed that Alfred was still behind her. She turned around towards him.

"Don't you have to talk to the student counselor or something?" Ai said.

"I do," he replied.

Silence.

"So why are you just standing here?" she snapped.

"I don't know where his office is," he replied.

Ai glared at him for a few minutes. She rolled her eyes and said, "Follow me."

He did so gladly, with his same, irritating smirk. They quickly reached the office. Ai pointed to the door.

"There. That's the counselor's office."

"Thank you very much," he replied before bending down and kissing her.

She halted a brief moment. She had to fight the urge to close her eyes and kiss him back. She pushed his forehead, reopening the distance between their faces. This caused a pout from Alfred; in turn, Ai glared.

"One, we can get into serious trouble for that. Two, I don't like you anymore, ok? That was a different me," she chastised.

Alfred smirked.

_Ok, screw it,_ Ai thought.

She bonked him on the head.

He smiled back up at her before straightening up and rubbing the back of his head where she bonked him. Ai repointed at the door.

"Now, you're going to go in there, register as a student, make friends, maybe even a girlfriend, and leave me the hell alone," she stated.

Alfred walked in the room as his response. Ai walked away towards her class.

Suspicions

Kyouya walked to class and couldn't get the picture of the tall American kissing Ai out of his head. He had been walking to class from getting something for a teacher when he heard Ai's voice. He walked towards her voice and stopped when he saw the American lean down. He couldn't see Ai's face, but he doubted she would let anyone kiss her without permission. He didn't want to see more, so he quickly ran off.

_Why would she do that? And the day after she said she loved me?_

Kyouya felt the tears in his eyes and quickly wiped them away.

_"Wait until our careers are worked out, ok?" By that did she mean, "Wait until I'm done screwing around"? No, Ai's not the type. I need to talk to her about this._

He pulled out his phone and began texting,

*AUTHOR NOTE: I'm not using text language in case any readers don't know it*

"Meet me at the school garden after school, ok? We need to discuss us."

He sent it to Ai and got an immediate reply.

"Sorry, I can't. I have a date."

_Date? With who?_

"Date? With who?"

"This American I've known for a while. Sorry, but I'm gonna marry him instead. Oh, p.s. don't talk to me anymore; whatever I said about loving you was a lie. Have a nice life! "

Kyouya nearly dropped his phone. He clenched his teeth while trying to fight the tears.

_Fine by me, I don't care. I'll just go find someone else,_ he told himself as he walked to class.

_Liar._

_ Yeah, I know._

Ai reached into her bag pocket, having a weird urge to text Kyouya. Her hand searched for her phone but couldn't find it. Class hadn't started yet, so she put the bag on her lap and looked everywhere with no luck. Instantly, a flashback of putting it on her kitchen counter hit her.

_Damnit, I probably left it there,_ she thought. _Oh well, it's not like I'd have anything to say anyways._


	3. Their Worlds Crashed, His Game Won

The Love That Was Never Mentioned but Will Never Be Forgotten

Part 3

Peaceful World; Broken Hearts

Ai walked to the garden where Kyouya had confessed his love for her. She stepped into the maze and looked behind her.

_No Al. Good._

She placed her back under a bush and started to leisurely walk through the colorful maze. She put her hand on a row of roses and followed it. The petals were so silky under her touch, the colors so vibrant to her eyes, the sounds so serene to her ears, the air so fresh to her nose, the nature air so tasty to her taste buds. She didn't dare to look behind her at the Ouran school building, knowing that the action would break her paradise. She lost herself, not caring where she was, who she was, only caring for the touch and feel of nature. It spoke to her, and she beckoned it with the steps she took. It called to her, asking her to sing, and she complied. She sung from the bottom of her heart. She didn't specify the song with words, only with notes. It was a song between her and nature; a code, if you will. She could feel the life of nature dancing to her music. She sung only loud enough for that life to hear, nobody else. Her heart was contempt, only wishing for the person that would make this lovely world lovelier: Kyouya. Her heart cried for him, as it always seemed too lately. She wanted to dance with him, feel his arms around her, and feel his kiss again. It had only been barely a day since they shared their first kiss, yet she was still craving it more than anything. No, she was craving _him_ more than anything.

As if that were his cue, Ai saw Kyouya walking through the garden. She couldn't see his face, but she knew it was him. She ran towards him and, when finally catching up to him, hugged him from behind. He jumped from surprise and turned towards her. She thought she would be met with a kiss, or a smile; instead, she was met with a look of his that was all too familiar to her: his cold face. She stepped back, not knowing why he was answering her this way.

"Kyouya, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, not expecting his answer.

"If you want a different look, go to that American," he coldly answered, and with that, he left her there.

Ai stood there, aghast. She felt a single tear drop down her face as she became an emotional mess. She angrily wiped at it and turned the other way. She ran off, grabbing her bag when reaching the front of it. Alfred was waiting for her on a bench, listening to his MP3. He turned to her and shot up when he saw her tears.

"Who made you cry? I'll kick their ass!" he yelled as he grabbed her shoulders.

Ai was confused; her emotions a jumbled mess. She was telling her body to walk away from him, but it rebelled against her. Before she knew it, she was kissing him. Against everything she had told herself, she couldn't deny that she still had feelings for him. She hugged him close to her, grasping the only thing she thought was stable in her world.

The Agreement

"I'll marry you," she whispered against his ear.

He broke apart from the hug with a giant grin and said, "I win."

She laughed at his child-like enthusiasm. He may have not been Kyouya, but he was what she had. After what Kyouya told her, she knew nothing would mend her broken heart, and she didn't want to go through the game of dating again. Alfred was right there in front of her, ready to take care of her. She was ready to be taken care of. Others may think it rushed, and she knew she was probably gonna regret it; but can't she at least be a little happy for the time being?

"So, I guess I'll be here until we graduate, and then we'll get married after-"

"No!" Ai interrupted, "let's get married as soon as possible, and then we'll live in America, ok?"

Alfred smiled even brighter and said, "Sounds good to me!"

His Regrets

Kyouya walked away from Ai and tried to fight the tears that were coming. He didn't want to be cold towards Ai, he wanted to pretend that the earlier conversation didn't happen and hug Ai back, but he couldn't. He refused to be the second man; he refused to share Ai with anyone. But he was still confused; after what Ai said in the texts, he didn't understand why she would run happily to him and hug him as if they were still a couple.

_It doesn't matter, anyways,_ he thought; _she doesn't love me anymore, if she ever did._

He reached the limo and put up the separator so that his driver couldn't see him cry.

When he got home, he headed straight to his room, but was stopped by his father.

"You have a fiancé, son" his father said from his office chair.

Kyouya was sitting across from him, in the guest chair, and coolly said, "Really? Who is she?"

"Azumi Hiroko; I believe she goes to your school."

He remembered the girl instantly; he also remembered how she hated Ai, and Ai hated her. She was the daughter of Takeshi Hiroko, the head of the Hiroko family: a family that had just come up in the medical business for the father discovering the cure to a strain of AIDS. Azumi was a snobby girl, always expecting the best. She was, without a doubt, spoiled; but her family was also a needed asset to the Ootori family. He figured Mr. Hiroko had suggested this and Kyouya's father, knowing it would be exceedingly profitable, agreed.

"Is there a problem with the arrangement?" his father asked suspiciously.

"No problem, father, I will marry her," Kyouya said blankly.

He left the room and sighed, wondering why he just did what he did. Yes, Ai said she would marry another, but was it right for him to go into another marriage agreement so soon? He didn't think so. He was still contemplating this in his room when one of the maids said he had a guest. His name was Alfred Stewart.

Kyouya glanced up at the tall American standing at his door and asked, "Do you have business with me?"

"Just wondering if you actually thought that it was Ai who sent those texts," he answered slyly.

Kyouya stopped writing and considered his question. He did, didn't he? He stood up and looked at the American coolly.

"It was from her phone, so I would guess so; unless someone stole it," Kyouya answered.

The American smiled and asked, "And if someone stole it?" as he held up her purple iPhone.

Kyouya stared at him wide eyed for a minute, but turned away from the American.

"Whether it was her or not doesn't matter; it's over between us."

"Wow, and I thought I would have a tough opponent," the American said with an astonished yet disappointed tone.

Kyouya quickly turned back to him.

"What did you say?"

"You know, if you really loved her, you wouldn't be giving up so easily. It's not even fun stealing her from you," the American said, shrugging his shoulders and putting the phone back in his pocket.

Right then, Kyouya realized who the American was: Alfred Stewart, future head of the Stewart family, a long standing enemy of the Ootori's. Stewarts were known for stealing from Ootoris anything that would give them an advantage, including wives.

"Is that all Ai is to you? A prize?" Kyouya asked, becoming angry.

"No, just not any prize; a prize I stole from an Ootori. Oh, don't look so shocked; it's not like she was really anything more to you anyways. She told me of your coldness towards her, and how she only received a loving glance from you once, when you told her you loved her. Just another business move, right? Well played, Ootori, well played. Honestly, I could never have the heart to do it; but I guess that's what differentiates Ootoris from Stewarts. You see, all women are just tools used for good looks, sex, heirs, and money, and Ai's no exception. Anyone who thinks more of them is an idiot. However, it's just cold to tell them you love them as a business move, am I right?"

"You bastard!" Kyouya yelled before throwing a punch towards Alfred's face, which was blocked and held by Alfred's open hands.

"Oh, got a temper, do we? You know, you can cut the act; she's not anywhere near. And even if she was, she would just be confused by you fighting in her defense. I mean, you _did_ just break up with her."

He twisted Kyouya's arm behind his back and pushed him against a wall.

"Tsk tsk tsk, you should feel ashamed, breaking a girl's heart like that," he said.

"You're the one who said they weren't good for anything but sex and looks. Now you're saying one needs to be careful of their feelings? Make up your mind, Stewart."

"They're no good if they have broken hearts; but I'll admit, Ai's different from the rest. If I ever had any respect for a girl, it would be for her. She really is an interesting prize," Alfred said.

Kyouya stopped as the realization hit him; Alfred, no matter how much of a cold and heartless bastard he was, loved Ai. He _loved_ Ai; he was merely fighting for what he wanted to protect, but he didn't realize it yet. This was merely a fight for love, and Kyouya wasn't going to lose.

He glanced behind him and said, "You love her, don't you?"

Alfred smirked, "Sorry, I'm not an idiot like you, Ootori."

"Yeah, you're an idiot, alright; idiots won't admit their weaknesses," Kyouya retorted.

Alfred pushed away from him and let go of his arm. Kyouya whipped back, not expecting it to be so easy. Alfred stood there, smirking.

"Whether I love her or not doesn't really matter, I won. Now, if you excuse me, Ai and I have a plane to catch," he replied as he begun to walk out of the room.

"A plane? To where?" Kyouya asked, stopping Alfred.

Alfred turned and smirked, "America, of course; she wanted to get married ASAP."

Alfred left, leaving Kyouya standing there astonished.


End file.
